The Very Best Of J.J. Cale

Amazon.com
As best-of collections go, this one is uncommonly understated. Which is probably appropriate given that the singer/songwriter it celebrates is one of the most taciturn rock & rollers to ever saunter down a dusty road. Decades into a career that has produced more commercial success than one might suppose, Cale's Very Best consists of one disc; outtakes and rarities padding a second disc don't fit Cale's less-is-more aesthetic. There's no essay elevating the Oklahoman as a great blues-rock pathfinder, though Eric Clapton and Dire Straits are among the platinum performers who owe him a debt; just musician credits and a modest dedication from Cale adorn the booklet. (Hey, at least the camera-shy Cale sat still for a photo shoot!) As for the music, this 20-song CD consists of a representative selection of hits for himself ("Crazy Mama" and "Lies" charted early in his career) and his partisans (Clapton scored with "Cocaine" and "After Midnight," while Lynyrd Skynyrd made "Call Me the Breeze" a concert staple). The case could easily be made that Cale deserves something a bit more ambitious than this unambiguous overview, but who's going to make the case for the man? Not low-profile J.J., that's for sure. --Steven Stolder

The Very Best Of J.J. Cale,J.J. Cale,Mercury / Universal,Blues-Rock,Pop,Popular Music,Rock,Rock/Pop,Singer/Songwriter

The Very Best Of J.J. Cale

Average customer rating:

Brilliance Of Simplicity
The Very Best of the Very Best...
The Very Best of JJ Cale
Jazz gets the Blues
An thoroughly enjoyable set

The Very Best Of J.J. Cale, (a,k.a. The Definitive Colleciton)
J.J. Cale
Manufacturer: Island / Mercury
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000007ODL
Release Date: 1998-06-09

Tracks:

Call Me The Breeze
Crazy Mama
Magnolia
After Midnight
Lies
Midnight In Memphis
Cajun Moon
Rock And Roll Records
Cocaine
Hey Baby
I'll Make Love To You Anytime
Don't Cry Sister
Thirteen Days
Sensitive Kind
Carry On
Mama Don't
City Girls
Devil In Disguise
Don't Wait
Money Talks

Amazon.com

As best-of collections go, this one is uncommonly understated. Which is probably appropriate given that the singer/songwriter it celebrates is one of the most taciturn rock & rollers to ever saunter down a dusty road. Decades into a career that has produced more commercial success than one might suppose, Cale's Very Best consists of one disc; outtakes and rarities padding a second disc don't fit Cale's less-is-more aesthetic. There's no essay elevating the Oklahoman as a great blues-rock pathfinder, though Eric Clapton and Dire Straits are among the platinum performers who owe him a debt; just musician credits and a modest dedication from Cale adorn the booklet. (Hey, at least the camera-shy Cale sat still for a photo shoot!) As for the music, this 20-song CD consists of a representative selection of hits for himself ("Crazy Mama" and "Lies" charted early in his career) and his partisans (Clapton scored with "Cocaine" and "After Midnight," while Lynyrd Skynyrd made "Call Me the Breeze" a concert staple). The case could easily be made that Cale deserves something a bit more ambitious than this unambiguous overview, but who's going to make the case for the man? Not low-profile J.J., that's for sure. --Steven Stolder

Customer Reviews:

Brilliance Of Simplicity.......2007-05-28

J.J. CALE epitomizes what is the brilliance of simplicity - that less is more, is best. CALE is, perhaps, one of the very few finer singer-songwriter craftsmen who can transport you to other worldly dimensions through his pure, raw, yet polished, finely executed recordings. He takes you by surprise, totally unexpected. I remember hearing him all over the radio during my early teens while his classic albums such as "NATURALLY" - "TROUBADOUR" - "OKIE" - "REALLY" were getting well deserved, cherry picked AM/FM Radio airplay for his definitive extraterrestialistic tracks such as "CRAZY MAMA" - "LIES" - "AFTER MIDNIGHT", among others. Cale's artistic legend grew by leaps and bounds, and he's not to be omitted from a music lover's library. His recordings will transport you to the stratosphere[and beyond]of your imagination. He leaves a highly memorable impression which, in turn, creates an unfathomed curiosity and intrigue even on the most casual listener of his mysterious vocals and guitar playing from his legendary recordings. "VERY BEST OF..." easily eclipses Cale's "SPECIAL EDITION" hits summary and his personal edition on the "20th Century Masters Millenium"[remastered]series, while it appears to be a pared down one disc version of CALE's expansive, stellar career overview 50 track, two-disc anthology, "ANY WAY THE WIND BLOWS". None of the above mentioned compilations should be dismissed, as all four contain tracks that criss-cross one another, plus various tracks of importance from his almost four decade long catalogue. Any J.J. CALE retrospective is worth every cent and dollar you spend, because every disc flows with gems. Cale's personal versions of both his own 'hits' and famously 'covered' compositions are timeless.

The Very Best of the Very Best..........2007-05-03

I was in high school when I first heard "Crazy Mama." I ran out and bought the 45--a thing we regularly did in antideluvian times before CDs and MP3 players were invented. As much as I loved "Crazy Mama," the flip side--"Don't Go to Strangers"--was far better, in my opinion. I gave "The Very Best of" a 4 rating instead of a 5 because it doesn't include "...Strangers." Even so, you can't go wrong with the "best of" the guy Clapton goes to for inspiration. If you don't know J. J. Cale yet, or haven't heard "Call Me the Breeze" from his "Live" album, you're missing out!

The Very Best of JJ Cale.......2007-01-16

If you used to have all the JJ Cale on vinal, this is the CD you need to start replenishing your collection!

Jazz gets the Blues.......2007-01-09

JJ Cale is a master of his art. He paints a clear and precise picture in his songs. Considered to be a Songwriter 1st and a Guitar player second, he influenced Skynard, Clapton, and many others. The classic version of Cocaine is contained here, in this definitive collection of Cale's original tunes. As well as Call me the Breeze and After Midnight.

An thoroughly enjoyable set .......2006-11-16

JJ Cale is a songwriter best known for having his works covered by other artists like Eric Clapton, Deep Purple and Lynyrd Skynyrd. While I don't generally favor 'best of' albums prefering to dig into an artists body of work, this one stands as an exception. It's a wonderful introduction to the world of JJ Cale with his layed back bluesy guitar sound and country-like sensabilities.

An excellent look into the world of JJ Cale. Highly recommended.

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